My husband Curt is a wonderful man. (If you don’t believe me, just ask him.) He is a strong and courageous man of great faith and strong character and God is as real to him as breathing.

As a lifelong entrepreneur and business owner with a heart for ministry, Curt loves to start things from scratch and transform ideas and visions into reality. Over the years nearly four dozen new business and ministry start ups (47) have benefited from Curt’s visionary leadership. With few exceptions, God’s blessing on Curt’s many endeavors has led to financial success and the time freedom and flexibility that passive income produces.

The last few years have been an exception – not that God’s blessing has been removed but that God’s blessing has not led to financial success. In fact, the last few years have been filled with many good ideas that didn’t work (at least not yet). And financially, these have been the most difficult years we have ever known. But I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

About two and a half years ago, Curt and I both felt God leading us to have Curt surrender some licenses that provided us with $90,000 to $100,000 a year in passive income from a business he built in the mid-nineties. We pulled the plug on that income stream in September 2008 and Curt was excited to venture into new areas and master new skills. But the amount of extreme difficulty and long delay in these endeavors has been unlike anything we have ever experienced.

I can only stand back and marvel as I see God’s hand upon Curt and observe the unwavering faith that continues to sustain him through a seemingly unending stream of setbacks and challenges. After thirty long months of struggle, some of his ventures are finally coming together and the possibility of actually generating enough profit to create an income seems to be just around the corner.

I know that he is grateful that we are getting close to profitability and will be excited when our financial situation improves. But as I observe Curt’s life and faith, I realize that it’s not about the money. It’s about the people in his life and the powerful ways God uses my husband to influence them. God’s blessing on Curt’s life flows out of his willingness to be used by God in the lives of others.

We have a friend who’s business was in disarray when he asked Curt to step in and “take the reins” in an effort to turn his businesses around. After nine months, the business is stabilized and growing. But the bigger news has been the way God has used Curt to bring this man closer to God and to radically alter his life and lifestyle. Curt is now mentoring him in business (and in life) and they have become close friends. Curt even performed his wedding recently.

Last spring Curt sensed God leading him to the owner of the gym where he works out. Without knowing why (or if he would be laughed out of town), he walked up to her, shared a bit of his background in business, and asked if he could help with anything. After a few smaller projects, they found a way to work together and her business is now beginning to flourish and they recently even made an offer on a second location.

But the bigger news is that she felt stuck and had been praying for a way to either grow or leave the business she once loved. She recently told Curt that she believes he is God’s answer to her prayers of quiet desperation. How cool is that?

Because Curt’s faith in God is so big and so real, he chooses every day to let go of his fears and doubts about the future and simply trusts that God will continue to provide for us and meet our needs (something I struggle with from time to time). As a result, God uses him mightily in the lives of others.

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Welcome to New Beginnings

New Beginnings is a blog for real people with real lives. It is a blog for people who believe God uses everyday experiences to teach, grow, change, and bless us. New Beginnings will encourage you not to be afraid when life throws a curve ball and will challenge you to hold fast to your faith with God's help.

We each are the main character in the unfolding story of our life. Our story shapes us into who we are. Be prepared to laugh, cry, cheer and pray – and get ready for your very own New Beginnings. Enjoy!

About the AuthorCassandra Jones is a Christian writer, blogger, wife, mother, and grandmother currently living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband Curt. She has personally experienced God's amazing grace and unending love. She has an unwavering belief in God’s ability to pick up the pieces of broken lives and fashion them into beautiful new creations.